Clip system for fixing an attachment to a support part

ABSTRACT

A clip system for fixing an attachment to a support part is provided using a connecting clip ( 1 ) consisting of a resilient material. The connecting clip ( 1 ) can be clamped to a retaining rib ( 8 ) of the attachment ( 6 ) and can be inserted into an essentially rectangular orifice ( 9 ) of the support part ( 7 ). The connecting clip ( 1 ) has two springloaded limbs ( 3 ), which originate from a central segment ( 2 ) and are bent back on themselves, whose free ends ( 4 ) are bent outwards and backwards in such a way that when the external limbs ( 5 ) formed by the bend are introduced into the orifice ( 9 ), they are pressed together in a spring-loaded manner between the edges ( 10 ) and snap into the opening, thus securing the connecting clip ( 1 ) in a non-positive fit. Once the connecting clip ( 1 ) has been introduced into the orifice ( 9 ), additional tension is exerted on the claws ( 16 ) by the pressure of the external sprig-loaded limbs ( 5 ), thus further increasing the retaining force on the retaining rib ( 8 ).

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is the U.S. national phase of International ApplicationNo. PCT/EP01/13489 filed 21 Nov. 2001, which claims the benefit ofGerman Application No. 100 59 522.7 filed 30 Nov. 2000.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention pertains to a clamp system for mounting an attachment parton a carrier part which comprises a connecting clamp of springablematerial, an attachment part and a carrier part with an opening, whereinthis connecting clamp can be fixed on a holding rib of the attachmentpart and inserted into an essentially rectangular opening in the carrierpart, wherein the connecting clamp is springably deformed during thisinsertion in such a way that the clamp is non-positively connected tothe carrier part on the edges of this opening, and wherein the clamphas, in the unattached state, two spring limbs that are bent toward oneanother from a central web and provided with claws that are transverselybent toward one another and springably pressed against the lateralsurfaces of the holding rib after its insertion.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

An elastic clamp of spring steel for the aforementioned purpose is knownfrom DE 32 45 056 A1. This clamp comprises three limb pairs of differentlengths which, beginning from a center line, are bent back toward oneanother in such a way that they form a rhombus when viewed from theside. The free ends of the limb pairs come in contact with one anotherin the unattached state of the clamp and are then angularly bent onceagain such that the attachment of the clamp on the holding rib of theattachment part is simplified. During this attachment, the free ends ofthe limb pairs are spread apart and pressed against the lateral surfacesof the holding rib. The two outer limb pairs of significantly shorterlength are additionally provided with inwardly bent claws in theircontact region on the holding rib in order to ensure the retention ofthe clamp on the holding rib.

The function of the clamp, namely the mounting of the attachment part ona carrier part, is realized with the longer central limb pair. In thiscase, the center width of the longer limb pair is greater than thecorresponding clear width of the slot-shaped opening in the carrier partby a certain amount. When mounting the attachment part, its holding ribwith the clamp attached thereon is inserted into the slot-shaped openingof the carrier part while elastically deforming the central limb pair,namely until the opposing obtuse regions of the limb pair lie behind theinner edge of the opening and the limb surfaces adjoin the inner edgeafter springing back.

The design of this clamp does not ensure a truly secure seat on theholding rib of the attachment part because it is merely held thereon bythe inwardly directed pressing force of the limb pair. This is thereason why shorter lateral limb pairs with additional holding claws areprovided. Since the holding claws generate a high resistance to beingbent due to the relatively short length of the clamping limbs, arelatively high force is required for pressing the holding rib betweenthe holding claws until it contacts the bottom of the clamp.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is based on the objective of developing a versatile clampsystem for connecting structural parts which allows a simple mountingprocess, wherein a truly secure seat of the clamp on the carrier partand thusly a secure connection between the structural part and thecarrier part can be achieved with simple means.

According to the invention, this objective is attained due to the factthat, in the aforementioned clamp system known from, for example,EP-A-855 523, the free ends of the spring limbs are bent outward andrearward in such a way that the thusly formed outer limbs can bespringably pressed together and engaged between the edges of theopening, and due to the fact that the central web contains a recess forinserting the holding rib.

Due to the design of the connecting clamp in accordance with theinvention, the holding rib can be easily pressed through the recessbetween the claws, and the claws are additionally pressed against theside walls of the holding rib when the rearwardly bent spring limbs arepressed together during the insertion of the clamp into the opening ofthe carrier part. This means that the clamping effect of the claws isadditionally intensified. In comparison with the above-cited state ofthe art, higher retention forces and an undoubtedly more secure seat ofthe clamp are achieved in this fashion.

This clamping effect is further intensified if the claws are arrangedshortly before the free end of the spring limbs. Due to the utilizationof the full bending length of the inner spring limbs, the claws can beeasily spread apart and also pressed against the side walls of theholding rib with a greater force when the connecting clamp is inserted.This is because the additional pressing force originating from thelocking edges is exerted upon a shorter limb length.

According to the invention, the inner spring limbs contain a slot thatbegins at their respective edges on both sides of the recess, whereinsaid slot serves for accommodating a correspondingly thick reinforcingrib between the structural part and the holding rib and thusly ensuringa stable contact between the connecting clamp and the holding rib.

The outer limbs are preferably formed of three sections that arealternately bent inward and outward at obtuse angles such that thebending line between the second and the third section forms a lockinggroove for the locking edges of the opening. In this manner, theflexibility of the first section can be advantageously increased whenthis section contains an essentially rectangular recess that extendsbeyond the roundly bent end. The remaining narrow spring webs providethe first section of the spring limbs with a higher elasticity such thatthe connecting clamp can be inserted into and, if so required, pulledout of the opening in the carrier part more easily.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One embodiment of the clamp system according to the invention isillustrated in the figures and described in greater detail below. Thefigures show:

FIG. 1, a side view of a preferred embodiment of the connecting clampused in the present clamp system;

FIG. 2, a front view of the same connecting clamp;

FIG. 3, a top view of the same connecting clamp;

FIG. 4, a section through the connecting clamp along the line IV—IV inFIG. 1;

FIG. 5, a section through the connecting clamp along the line V—V inFIG. 2;

FIG. 6, a detail of an attachment part with a holding rib that isaligned for its insertion into the connecting clamp;

FIG. 7, a section through the connecting clamp fixed on the holding ribalong the line VII—VII in FIG. 3, wherein the connecting clamp isaligned for its insertion into the mounting opening of a carrier part,and

FIG. 8, an illustration analogous to that shown in FIG. 7, however,after connection between the attachment part and the carrier part isproduced in accordance with the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present clamp system is operative to mount an attachment part 6 on acarrier part 7 by a connecting clamp 1 that can be fixed on a holdingrib 8 of the attachment part 6. The fixed connecting clamp 1 is theninserted into an essentially rectangular opening 9 in the carrier part7. During this process, the connecting clamp 1 is deformed in such a waythat the clamp 1 is non-positively engaged with the carrier part 7 onthe edges 10 of the opening 9.

FIGS. 1-4 show that the connecting clamp 1 is manufactured of anoriginally rectangular spring steel sheet, wherein the connecting clamp1 has, in the unattached state, two spring limbs 3 that are bent towardone another from a central web 2. These spring limbs nearly contact oneanother on their free ends 4 and are then bent outward and rearward insuch a way that the outer limbs 5 form a wedge-shaped profile in theside view as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 shows that the outer spring limbs 5 consist of three sections,wherein the first section 11 is bent outward at an acute angle from thelower free end 4. The second, central section 12 is bent inward at anobtuse angle, and the third section 13 is bent outward at an obtuseangle. In this case, the bending line between each second section 12 andthird section 13 forms a locking groove 14 that adjoins and engages withthe locking edges 10 of the opening 9 in the carrier part 7 afterinserting the connecting clamp 1 into this opening.

In order to securely and durably connect the connecting clamp 1 to theattachment part 6, the latter comprises a holding rib 8, wherein thecentral web 2 of the connecting clamp l contains a recess 15, the cleardimensions of which correspond to the cross section of the holding rib8. In addition, claws 16 are transversely bent toward one another andpositioned shortly before the lower end 4 of the spring limbs 3, whereinsaid claws springably adjoin the lateral surfaces 17 of the holding rib8.

The holding rib 8 is centrally supported relative to the attachment part6 on both sides by a triangular reinforcing rib 18. The inner springlimbs 3 each contain a slot 20 that originates at their edges 19 on bothsides of the recess 15, wherein said slots are operative to accommodatethe reinforcing ribs 18 after inserting the holding rib 8 into theconnecting clamp 1.

Support ribs 21 are also integrally formed onto the attachment part 6 onboth sides of the holding rib 8, wherein said support ribs are spacedapart from the holding rib and simultaneously adjoin the carrier part 7when the locking groove 14 engages with the opening 9. This means thatthese support ribs act as spacers between the carrier part 7 and theattachment part 6. The distance between the two support ribs 21 is suchthat the upper sections 13 of the outer spring limbs 5 have sufficientspace between the support ribs 21 after the insertion of the holding rib8 in the non-tensioned state of the connecting clamp 1.

In order to make the first section 11 of the spring limbs 5 as elasticas possible, the first section 11 contains an essentially rectangularcutout 22 that extends into the inner spring limbs 3 beyond the roundlybent end 4.

FIGS. 5-8 elucidate the effect of the clamp system according to theinvention. The holding rib 8 of the attachment part 6 is initiallyinserted from the top into the recess 15 of the central web 2 in thedirection of the arrow “M” and pressed downward between the spring limbs3 and the claws 16 until the attachment part 6 contacts the central web2 (FIG. 7). The carrier part 7, with its opening 9, is pressed over theconnecting clamp 1 in the direction of the arrows “A.” During thisprocess, the outer spring limbs 5 are initially pressed together andthen spring back apart again after the central section 12 passes throughthe opening 9. Pressure is applied until the locking groove 14 engageswith the edges 10 and the support ribs 21 of the attachment part 6 lieon the carrier part 7 (FIG. 8).

1. Clamp system for mounting an attachment part on a carrier part,comprising: a connecting clamp (1) of springable material, an attachmentpart (6) and a carrier part (7) with an opening (9), wherein theconnecting clamp (1) can be fixed on a holding rib (8) of the attachmentpart (6) and inserted into the opening (9) in the carrier part (7),wherein the connecting clamp is springably deformed during the insertionin such a way that the clamp (1) is non-positively connected to thecarrier part (7) on the edges (10) of the opening (9), and the clamp (1)has, in the unattached state, two inner spring limbs (3) that are benttoward one another from a central web (2) and provided with claws (16)that are transversely bent toward one another and springably pressedagainst the lateral surfaces (17) of the holding rib (8) after itsinsertion, and the lower free ends (4) of the inner spring limbs (3) arebent outward and rearward to form outer spring limbs (5) that can bespringably pressed together and engaged between the edges (10) of theopening (9), and the central web (2) contains a recess (15) forinserting the holding rib (8).
 2. Clamp system according to claim 1,wherein the claws (16) which are transversely bent toward one anotherare arranged shortly before the free end (4) of the inner spring limbs(3).
 3. Clamp system according to claim 1, wherein the inner springlimbs (3) respectively contain a slot (20) that originates at theiredges (19) on both sides of the recess (15), wherein said slots servefor accommodating a correspondingly thick reinforcing rib (18) betweenthe attachment part (6) and the holding rib (8).
 4. Clamp systemaccording to claim 1, wherein the outer spring limbs (5) consist ofthree sections, wherein a first section (11) is bent outward at an acuteangle from the lower free end (4), a second section (12) is bent inwardat an obtuse angle and a third section (13) is bent outward again at anobtuse angle, and wherein the bending line between the second section(12) and the third section (13) forms a locking groove (14) for thelocking edges (10) of the opening (9).
 5. Clamp system according toclaim 4, wherein the first section (11) contains a rectangular cutout(22) that extends beyond the lower free end (4).
 6. Clamp system formounting an attachment part on a carrier part, comprising a connectingclamp of springable material, an attachment part and a carrier part withan opening, wherein the connecting clamp is fixable on a holding rib ofthe attachment part and inserted into the opening in the carrier part,and wherein the connecting clamp is springably deformed during thisinsertion in such that the clamp is non-positively connected to thecarrier part on the edges of the opening, and wherein the clamp has, inthe unattached state, two inner spring limbs that are bent toward oneanother from a central web and provided with claws that are transverselybent toward one another and springably pressed against the lateralsurfaces of the holding rib after its insertion, and wherein lower freeends of the inner spring limbs are bent outward and rearward to formouter spring limbs that can be springably pressed together and engagedbetween the edges of the opening, and by the fact that the central webcontains a recess for inserting the holding rib, the outer spring limbshaving a first section bent outward at an acute angle from the lowerend, a second section bent inward at an obtuse angle and a third sectionbent outward again at an obtuse angle, the bending line between thesecond section and the third section forming a locking groove for thelocking edges of the opening.
 7. Clamp system according to claim 6,wherein the first section contains a rectangular cutout that extendsbeyond the lower free end.
 8. Clamp system according to claim 6, whereinthe claws which are transversely bent toward one another are arrangedshortly before the free end of the inner spring limbs.
 9. Clamp systemaccording to claim 6, wherein the inner spring limbs respectivelycontain a slot that originates at their edges on both sides of therecess, wherein said slots serve for accommodating a correspondinglythick reinforcing rib between the attachment part and the holding rib.